


Fight of Our Lives

by PhantomPhan16, VicenteValtieri



Series: Role Playing Fanfiction [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Sword Art Online, Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 17:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9835457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomPhan16/pseuds/PhantomPhan16, https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicenteValtieri/pseuds/VicenteValtieri
Summary: Sequel to Return of the Family. Warning: Spoilers for Sword Art Online





	

He rushed to her prone form, scanning with the Force.  
She was alive, barely. Foamy blood was dripping from her lips and nose. He gently elevated her head and opened her airway, cradling her in one arm while the other hand supported her chin.  
He quickly called for a medic team and summoned Optimus. Starscream could be informed once he knew more since the Seeker was already weighed down by his Binary Bonded being trapped in a death game.  
Optimus wasn't surprised by Carnelian's condition. He conducted the medical team to the office and did his best to calm Palpatine as they began carrying her away.  
The old man was shaking. This was a lot in such a short time. He picked up the Autobot and headed to inform the others. Arcan and Carmile were just arriving to see Matty.  
Thrawn and Mitty were cradling Starscream, who was crying pink tears.  
Palpatine handed them Optimus, who embraced his mate. He quietly informed his son and son-in-law about Carnelian.  
Thrawn and Mitty's jaws dropped open. "What? But- But she was in perfect health. She never gets sick!"  
"I don't know. The medics are examining her as we speak," Palpatine said.  
Starscream burst out. "Idiots! How could you not have known?"  
"She made sure we didn't suspect, Starscream. You know how she is and how well she can hide things she doesn't want others to notice."  
“How could you not see it? Day by day, every ‘lipstick’ smear, every ‘mascara’ run? She was in agony! She stopped eating with the family and self-isolated to hide that she couldn’t keep anything stronger than chicken broth down! She was losing weight, wearing massive amounts of make-up to hide how fragile she was becoming! She stopped training because she was too weak to lift so much as a bamboo staff! She stopped riding because every jolt would put a new bruise on her! Her sheets were carried out bloody every night. All the maids were gossiping about it. She’s been too exhausted to sleep, unable to focus…! Optimus and I tried to tell you, but you never listened- HOW COULD YOU NOT SEE?”  
The three were speechless. How had they missed it? How had they not known?  
Starscream crumpled. "How did I not see it? How didn't I realize she needed help when there was still hope? Why didn't I do more?"  
"We don't know there's no hope, Starscream. Maybe her body has done this to focus completely on fighting this illness," Optimus said.  
Starscream began sobbing anew into his mate's shoulder plates.  
"They'll be all right, love. They're strong, all three of them."  
"Stronger men have died of the stupidest things, Optimus."  
Thrawn reached out to gently pat Starscream's wing. "Why don't you two go and rest? We'll keep you up to date."  
They nodded and made their way to their house. Carnelian was revealed to be in a coma but alive. The boys were under constant watch, though nothing could be done for them but watch and pray.  
Palpatine sighed, bending over his daughter's form. "What exactly went wrong, doctor?"  
"Your highness, I don't think you want to hear details. Suffice to say that if nothing changes, she will die within a few days."  
He covered his mouth, fighting back a fresh wave of tears. So many tears in such a short amount of time. "Doctor,... I need to know. Please."  
"Your highness, to put in the simplest way possible, she is rotting from within. Almost all of her internal organs are covered in sores. It's amazing that she's lived so long with it as it is. I can't imagine she was able to eat or to exert herself. I wish she had come to the medwing long ago. There isn't a treatment, but there are things we could have done to make her comfortable."  
Palpatine sank into the nearby chair, burying his face in his hands.  
"Her nervous system appears to be intact. It's likely that she could be preserved in an artificial body, if one could be constructed fast enough."  
With a trembling voice, he said, "We must try."  
"Very well, Your Majesty."  
Palpatine set his hand to the task. How Carnelian would cringe to know that he had cleared his schedule for a week. He had the components for what he needed, it just had to be put together.  
He worked furiously, he couldn't give up. Thrawn and Mitty did what they could, but he knew this was harder as they agonized over their son.  
He delivered the frame to the medwing just in time. They transferred her brain and spinal cord to the crude replica, a mockery of her living beauty in silver skin and nanobots. He would continue to improve the appearance, perhaps even put synthesized flesh over the whole thing, but for now he would be content for her optics to turn on and look at him.  
"Carnelian?"  
No response. The thing might as well have been a silver doll.  
He sighed. "Give it time, Your Majesty. Everything must adjust to the change."  
He sighed, placing a hand on her cold temple, willing her to return to them.  
*Please, Carnelian, come back to us.*  
In SAO Cas and Matty were fighting through a pack of wolves. It was just them, they had no other party members.  
Matty stabbed forwards at a grey wolf and caught it through the jaw.  
It shattered into light crystals. "That's the last of them," Cas said. Matty sheathed his sword and put his shield on his back. "Come on. It's getting dark, we should get back to town."  
Matty hugged Cas. "Okay."  
They headed back to town, which were Safe Zones. HP didn't go down in Safe Zones. They sold most of their loot and headed to their inn room, settle down in bed in their everyday clothes they could equip instead of armor in safe places.  
Matty held Cas. "Do you think they're figuring out how to get us out?"  
"I'm sure they are. I bet Dad and Grandpa are tearing the galaxy apart looking for Kayaba to give him to find a way to safely turn off the Nerve Gear."  
"I wonder what Aunt Carnelian is doing about it."  
"Learning all of Kayaba's worst fears and nightmares so she can torture him later I bet."  
"That would be just like her." Matty agreed.  
Cas snuggled into his husband. "We don't have to fight, Matty. We could stay in the Town of Beginnings."  
"Cas..."  
"I just... I'm scared, Matty. It's not us. If we die... what will happen to our baby?"  
Matty was silent for a long moment. "Cas. In the real world, I think that would have been the first thing our parents took care of."  
"I know." He buried his face in his chest. "I want to have our baby. I want to watch them grow up. I wanna go home."  
"Me too. You're right, you know. We could stay here. It's only a matter of time before they figure it out."  
"... So why does that feel cowardly and selfish?" Cas whispered.  
"Because so many others are deciding to get out there and fight their way through. But they're dying, Cas. I don't want to lose you."  
"I don't want to lose you either, but... Matty,... if I can use what I've been taught, and we're careful about what monsters we fight and what ones we run from we should be okay. Right?"  
"I don't know, Cas. So many people are dying out there. What if we do make it to the end of the game and it's a trick? What if there is no ending?"  
"...Then at least we tried our hardest to get home."  
"Or, we could wait for people who can actually see and deal with the nerve gear to work on it. Aunt Carnelian is a genius with machinery and so is grandpa."  
"But, Matty."  
"Yeah?"  
"I don't want to sit here forever. I want to try to get home. Our parents and our baby are waiting for us. So if it comes down to, lets fight like hell and tear apart this world."  
Matty nodded, looking down. "Let's at least wait for a bit. Maybe they'll find a way to make contact."  
"Okay. We'll wait for a bit. We level up in the wolf fields to be ready, though. Those we know we can handle."  
"Right, and you've been teaching me what your dad taught you. If we have to, maybe we can do this."  
Cas snuggled into him. "I love you, Matty. I love you so much."  
"I love you, too Cas."  
Carnelian was wandering through a grey field. Stones jutted from the colorless grain. She sighed and looked around. So. This was death. A little bit boring for her taste.  
Something was ahead, though. It wasn't color per say, but it was... not what she was currently looking at. It was... familiar. Like... something or someone she knew. Someone who needed her.  
She came to a stop in front of a shivering bundle of rags and picked it up, moving them back from the child's face.  
For a moment the baby's features were undefined then came into focus.  
She caressed its face. It looked like Cas and Matty. "Hello, little one."  
"You're waiting for your parents, aren't you?"  
The child yawned, sticking out a pink tongue and cuddled closer. It felt cold to the touch. "Don't be afraid, little one. You're just in stasis. People say it's like death, so I guess it's not surprising. But I'm here now. I'll keep you warm and cozy. And I'm sure your mama and daddy will come back very soon. I know they're both excited to meet you, especially your silly mama."  
She zipped her action suit around the child. "And I won't be there because I'm truly dead, but you'll know me for now."  
She smiled. "You're such a sweet thing. Your parents are going love you, and your silly grandpas will spoil you." She turned her face to the east again. "And you'll take care of Starscream and Optimus and my grandchildren, won't you? I worry for them the most."  
The baby cooed, and she smiled. "You're going to have a good life, little one. I know it."  
Starscream was bent over Carnelian, singing in Seeker speech.  
He sang for hours, sometimes his seekerlings joining in, or he'd send them to snuggle on Cas and sing to him and Matty. There were times they sang to her and he sang to Cas and Matty, but none of them three were ever without a Transformer companion.  
Optimus brought him a mug of hot tea with lemon and honey. "Is there anything?"  
"Nothing. Any progress in the Nerve Gear?"  
"No. They've stopped trying. The two patients they were permitted to work on both died from the Nerve Gear anyway."  
He sighed and hugged his Seeker. "They'll have to fight, Starscream."  
"Either that or CARNELIAN NEEDS TO WAKE UP!" He screeched, kicking her chin. It didn't work. He hadn't expected it to.  
"Starscream!"  
He sobbed in Optimus' arms. "They're just boys, Optimus!"  
"I know, love."  
"She should be fine. Everything says she should be operating. Why isn't she coming back?"  
"I don't know. Maybe her mind has... locked itself away." He sighed and leaned against the Autobot. "The boys are strong, and Cas is an excellent swordsman, Starscream. They'll be all right."  
Starscream sighed, groaning and pressed his face into Optimus's chest plates.  
"I know. I'm worried too."  
"It's been two weeks, and all the people monitoring the game progress came say is no one has gotten past Floor 1, Optimus. They have to beat 100!"  
Optimus rocked his Seeker and his engines hummed, soothing him.  
Exhausted, Starscream fell asleep. Mitty sat holding his son's hand. The boys were already losing weight, as the medics had told them would happen.  
Thrawn was cradling six seekerlings, pressed against Mitty's back, and singing their tunes so they would rest.  
As the seekerlings finally drifted off he gently lay them on the bed. They liked sleeping on one of the boys. "Oh, Thrawn,..."  
Thrawn held Mitty. "I know, Mitty. I know."  
He pressed into him. "I feel so helpless, Beau."  
"So do I. I should be able to do something, anything."  
"I want Kayaba to pay for this. I want him to suffer what he's done to our baby boy."  
"He will. If it takes my last breath, he will."  
"I almost wonder if being able to see what was happening would make me feel better or worse."  
"I don't know. I just can't stand to think of waking up to find him suddenly dead and not even knowing."  
Mitty trembled in his arms, tears running down his face.  
Thrawn pressed his cheek to Mitty's hair.  
As the days passed more players died, and Thrawn and Mitty were becoming increasingly frightened. Would their baby be next? Would Matty?  
Carnelian found herself in SAO on accident. She was just walking, always to the east, with the child in her bosom, and suddenly she was in a beautiful little town.  
She looked around and suddenly Cas ran right past her, unable to see her. "Come on, Matty! The strongest players are gathering."  
"I'm coming! Do you think they found the Boss Room?"  
"After a month and 2,000 deaths, I hope so!"  
Carnelian called out to them. "Matty! Cas!"  
Cas skidded. "Wha..."  
"Cas, what's wrong?"  
"I swore I heard Aunt Carnelian."  
"Why are you here? Are you dead too? What is this place?"  
Cas pressed his thoughts to her. *This is SAO, Aunt Carnelian. We're trapped in the game.*  
"What? How? And I hate to say I told you so: But I told you this would be trouble."  
*We didn't know it was going to turn out to be some death game.* Cas thought back as they hurried to the meeting, where Divael revealed they had located the Boss Room and were going to take a raiding party, which was a group of smaller parties, to attack it since those gathered were, so far, the best players.  
"You have to get out then."  
*We can't. We can't logout, and if someone tried to deactivate or remove out Nerve Gear it will destroy our brain.*  
"Great."  
It was agreed they would attack the Boss in the morning, so Carnelian followed them back to their inn. "Aunt Carnelian, you said... you're dead?"  
"I think so. Though death appears to mean: Wandering aimlessly through infinity more than anything." She patted the daughter at her breast. "So if your headset kills you how do you get out?"  
"We have beat all 100 Floors."  
"Dammit. I can't even begin to think of how to get you two out. I knew I should have looked those helmets over."  
Cas leaned against Matty. "Guess that settles it for sure, Matty. We have to fight."  
"Now hang on. Your grandfather is a dab hand at this. If your numbers are right, he had two thousand free pieces to look over at his liesure."  
"He's probably already though of it. It could just be too dangerous to risk messing with the Nerve Gear. We talked about it earlier, too." Matty sighed and held Cas close. "You're right, babe. We can't just sit here."  
Carnelian began pacing. "There has to be something I can do! I am the Exception! I killed the Chosen One! I practically run the Empire! Force, why couldn't I have held on another day or two?"  
"I wonder if you can spirit walk and maybe tell Dad we're okay, and we're going to do our best to get home."  
She popped her head up. "Cas, that's another thing. I'm surprisingly lucid right now, but I'll fade any moment. I've been fractured, fragmented, and wandering. I'm not in control."  
"Oh..." Matty tucked him more firmly into him, trying to be strong.  
"With that said, I'm not letting myself go without helping you some way." She reached out and touched his forehead. "I may not be very strong right now, but I know a thing or two about martial arts."  
He gasped as the knowledge came to him.  
Along with it came a fragment of Carnelian's soul, her reasoning skills and the screwy backwards logic that so often worked in her favor. Another moment, and she staggered backwards, clutching her head.  
She watched over them, cradling their daughter, as they slept. The morning came with the trek to the dungeon and into the Boss Room. Illfang the Kolbold Lord was massive and almost rat like. Cas and Matty hung back with some of the others to deal with the minions as the main groups continually switched to beat down through Illfang's four HP Bars. As the last one hit red, Diavel charged in, only for Illfang to viciously attack him. Cas rushed to the fallen player with an Health Potion. "You were a Beta-tester, too, Your Highness?" Cas nodded, but Diavel pushed away the potion. "Protect them." His avatar shattered, he was gone.  
Cas stood up. Matty came close and put a hand on his shoulder. Carnelian was long gone, but it seemed that a voice in his head was telling him to shake it off and move or risk everything.  
Carnelian watched, no longer visible, as Cas and Matty charged Illfang, landing a few attacks until Illfang caught Cas in the torso, sending him flying into Matty, and knocking them both to the ground. Agil, a tall, muscular, dark skinned man with a great axe knocked Illfang back before he could hit them. "We'll hold him off until you're health's back up!" Cas nodded.  
She was fading, she knew it, but she had to know.... She had to see...  
"Come on, Matty! One more time!" "You got it!" Loosing war cries, they raced towards Illfang, interchanging attacks until Cas slashed across his entire body, and Illfang shattered.  
Carnelian gave a triumphant shout before the wind took her.  
Thrawn came running to the boys' room. "Mitty!"  
"What?"  
"There's been a progress update! They beat the Floor 1 Boss!"  
Mitty hugged Thrawn. "I'm relieved, but... there's ninety nine to go..."  
"But now there's hope, love. Now there's hope."  
Mitty nodded, sobbing into Thrawn's shoulder.  
Progress was made much quicker as time went on and they learned how to better evaluate and beat Bosses. Players still died, but not anywhere near the rate of the first month. Carnelian was back in SAO. She had sort of figured out what was going on. She wasn't dead, close, but not quite dead, and now with a piece of her soul in Cas, she wouldn't wake until he did. It was Christmas. Cas and Matty were in a inn with a small diamond like thing. Cas pressed a button, and a girl's voice came out. "Merry Christmas, Cas and Matty. By the time you hear this I'll probably be dead, and I know that you guys will probably blame yourselves for it. Don't. I knew that if I left the Town Beginnings thinking I was going to die that eventually I would, but at least I got to meet you two. I want you to keep on living and beat the game. Find out why this happened and make sure it can't happen again."  
Cas whimpered. "Sachi."  
Matty hugged his husband. Carnelian felt an odd tugging. It had been happening a lot lately. What were they doing on the surface world?  
"Well, looks like I have some time left. Since it's Christmas, I'll sing you guys a song, okay?" She began humming 'Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. Cas and Matty were both crying.  
Carnelian felt a pop in her eardrums and heard a different voice. She felt like she was on the verge of another shatterdown.  
Was that... Starscream singing over the girl in the recording.  
It was. She closed her eyes and SAO faded. In its place was a cavern where the Seeker sat on a crystal, singing into the mists.  
"Starscream?"  
Starscream offered one of his servos, continuing to sing.  
She went to him, once more cradling Cas and Matty's daughter.  
Starscream stood up, holding her hand in his servo, and hovered, pulling upwards. They broke the roof of the cave like it was water and Carnelian was staring at unfamiliar lights, far too bright to look at.  
She blinked and tried to shield her eyes.  
Immediately, she was crushed in a group hug by her assembled family.  
"What?" she gasped.  
"You're back." Starscream said simply, kissing her cheek. "Your father and I have been working on getting me to lucid dream to you for forever. Today, it worked."  
"I don't understand. I... I thought I was dead. Then I was talking to Cas in that game. How am I alive?"  
"Carnelian, you've been in a coma for all this time. After you collapsed, I found you and we built another body for you to be in." Palpatine gently told her. "But there must have been a disconnect between you and what remained of your systems, because you never woke up."  
"So... Starscream helped me wake up?"  
"Yes."  
"You... you talked to Cas?" Mitty asked, Thrawn looked anxious beside him.  
"Yes. They're fine, for now. Cas is holding some of me, I think."  
"Something of you?"  
"It's a long story. Now, I need to take a look at the Nerve Gear." As soon as Carnelian had a helmet, she found weaknesses. "Father, how much of me is still human?"  
Palpatine glanced at the doctor and sighed.  
"Not much. Your brain and spinal cord is all that escaped."  
"That's enough." She put on the helmet and plugged into the system. If she was right...  
Holograms appeared over Cas and Matty, showing what they were doing. Oh. Well that was something. She looked for a way to safely shut down the Nerve Gear. Maybe the safety was just turned off. There was no safety. Any loss of power that was not game related would result in the player's death.  
So, she had to get into the binary that made the game. From what she had deduced, the gamemaker was in there with them, enjoying the combats like some kind of torture porn. What he didn't count on was an android with a human system.  
The binary was practically AI, it was advanced, and it fought her off. The Cardinal System was impressive.  
She narrowed her eyes. Hardball, was it. She could play hardball. All she had to do was be herself. She broke computers regularly.  
With a flicker of will, the tenthousand and first player joined the game.  
SAO had been going on for two years. Cas and Matty fought with the Assault Team, the alliance of the top guilds and players who fought on the front lines. The most powerful guild was the Knights of the Blood Oath led by Heathcliff. They had reach Floor 75 and were preparing to take on the Boss. Cas had a Unique Skill, Dual Wielding. The raiding part was massive, coming all guilds and players of the Assault Team, but they weren't prepared for THIS Boss. Thrawn, Mitty, and Palpatine were watching as the Skull Reaper, a massive, centipede, skeletal monster with massive scythes on rather than hands, descended upon the players. It had five HP Bars, which no Boss had before, and with a single blow killed two players.  
Thrawn and Mitty held each other, Mitty whimpering.  
Palpatine gasped softly. Heathcliff blocked an attack on another player only to have the Reaper ignore him and kill the player anyway. Cas darted forward as it went for another player. "Look out!" He blocked the scythe, but it dug down into his shoulder and was continuing down. It was too strong for him.  
Mitty dug his face into Thrawn's shoulder.  
It swung its other scythe, but Heathcliff blocked it, and Matty slashed it's face, knocking it back. "If we block it together we have a chance." He pulled Cas to his feet. "Come on, we can do this."  
Cas nodded, agreeing. A shadowed figure watched them all.  
"Matty and I will deal with scythes! Everyone else, flank it and attack!" Cas and Matty charged in, striking the scythes away and keeping it's main focus on them, though other players were killed.  
"Matty and I will deal with scythes! Everyone else, flank it and attack!" Cas and Matty charged in, striking the scythes away and keeping it's main focus on them, though other players were killed.  
A scythe came out at one of the other players. A bone spear with a bronze head blocked it, bouncing it back.  
Cas turned for a moment, snarled, then focused again on the Reaper. At last it shattered, and everyone sank down, exhausted. "How many did we loose?"  
Agil asked. Cas pulled up a map and counted. "Fourteen of us died."  
"Fifteen." The stranger leaned on her bone spear, sheathed in a cream cape over the golden armor, face masked with hair matching flowing out behind her head.  
They all looked, and everyone had expressions of hate. "Leave," Cas snarled.  
Starscream and Optimus were caught between sadness and relief. Sadness for the fourteen lost to them, relief that Cas and Matty were still alive, gladness that another one was out of danger.  
Thrawn and Mitty were simply overjoyed that their baby and son in law had survived. Palpatine applauded gently. "Those are my boys." He stated with pride.  
The stranger tipped her head and stepped away from them, walking towards the back door.  
Heathcliff especially glared at her as if trying to establish her identity.  
"We can't let her continue to plague the players." One of their group muttered. "We should finish her now."  
“Of course we should.” Heathcliff agreed.  
The stranger turned her head slightly. “If you are going to attack, you should do it now. Your health is returning. Soon you will be at full strength, and I am alone. You will never get a better chance.”  
Matty looked at Cas. "Love."  
Cas snarled and rushed, Sachi and all the people he knew that had died in this game, flashing through his mind. Player killers! He HATED them!"  
The woman lowered her spear.  
He smashed her to the ground. He wouldn't kill her, he'd see her locked up instead.  
She somersaulted between his legs, came up, and smacked him across the head with the butt of her spear. "Try again, Cas."  
He froze then screamed at her, a swear fit to make a sailor blush.  
Thrawn and Mitty gasped and Mitty glared accusatorily at Thrawn.  
Palpatine covered his mouth in shock.  
"I didn't teach him that I swear!" Thrawn defended.  
Mitty snorted. "Where did he learn it then? Your father?"  
Palpatine looked innocent.  
"He probably picked it up in game, Mitty."  
Cas snarled and lunged, ripping at her face mask.  
She dodged, avoided, and tripped him up. "Why are you so interested in me? It's tiring you out and I can do this all day."  
"I know it's you! How could you?! Murderer!"  
Carnelian leveled her spear at his throat. "Stay down, pup."  
"Cas!" Matty, followed by several others, charged her.  
Heathcliff rushed her from behind and stabbed his sword out at her. A purple barrier blocked the way. The text box "Immortal Object" appeared over her.  
"She's the Gamemaker!" He screeched. "She's the one, look at her!"  
"No, she's not," Cas choked. "She's like that IRL."  
There was a gasp and Carnelian flourished her spear. *Excellent attempt, Gamemaker. But my nephew is smarter than that.*  
*I'll have you in the end, Hacker.*  
Cas flew at Heathcliff, and all went down, paralyzed. ""Kayaba!" he snarled.  
Kayaba glared coldly as he parried.  
Cas was fast and strong, but Kayaba had created the game's Dual Wielding skill. He knew how to counter it, and this was a fight to the death.  
Cas stood no chance. He might have, with a little more time in the game, just a bit more time for his aunt to work on his mind. But as it stood, he had no chance. Kayaba knocked him to the ground, his HP dangerously low, and stood over him.  
Carnelian slammed the butt of her spear into the ground and Kayaba vanished.  
Thrawn and Mitty's emotional state went on a rollercoaster from fearful to relieved.  
Palpatine stopped clutching his chest as he realized who was holding the strings.  
Kayaba lashed back, as Carnelian knew he would. She had over stepped their unwritten contract, so he was over stepping. She was moved back to the beginning of the game and he attacked her with viruses through the game. She had to shut down her android body to combat them, waiting for the storm to cease. She was still an object of fascination for him. She would still be playing the game.  
Cas shook and collapsed. "CAS!!!" Matty screamed as the paralysis wore off. He raced to his husband, gazing in horror at the tiny bit of health left in his HP bar.  
He dug through his bag for a health potion.  
"Hold on, babe." He poured the potion into his mouth, and Cas opened his eyes.  
"Am I alive? I thought- Kayaba..."  
"Your aunt saved you."  
He hugged him. "Oh, Cas..."  
"I'm okay, Matty."  
"I can't believe she's killing other people. Why?"  
"I don't know. Lets just get out of here and check out the next floor." Floor 76 was similar to Floor 22, it was like lakeside country and the monsters were few and far between, a Floor to let players rest and recover.  
Cas and Matty were relieved. It reminded both of them of Naboo, which they had been to briefly.  
They smiled and bought a log cabin near a large lake to relax and come back to for a break from the front lines if they needed to.  
It was surrounded by sweet smelling lilacs and far from the madding crowd.  
Cas flopped into bed, and Matty draped himself over him, kissing him sweetly.  
Thrawn and Mitty held each other, glad to see them getting a break. "I wish all the floors were like this one."  
"Me too, Beau."  
Palpatine smiled and nodded.  
Matty slipped down to nuzzle Cas's stomach. "I can't wait to be home and watch our baby grow in you. I'll be rubbing your tummy and loving all over you."  
Cas laughed softly. "I can't wait, Matty. I want to see our daughter."  
"Me too, babe." He slipped his hands into Cas's shirt.  
"Hey! Your hands are cold!"  
"Yes, which is why I'm warming them."  
Cas squirmed away. "No, you big jerk!"  
Matty laughed, tickling.  
The Prince squealed with laughter.  
Matty laughed as well and hugged him. Cas playfully nibbled his ear. "Noooo. I'm being eaten alive," he howled dramatically.  
Matty play-struggled and sighed, hugging him close.  
Cas made a face. "You taste bad, too. Bad manners and bad taste. Where did I go wrong?" he teased.  
Matty widened his eyes. "But I love you, Cas."  
"Are you giving me a puppy face?"  
"Is it working?"  
"Yes."  
Matty kissed him. "I love you, Cas."  
"I love you, too, Matty. We can do this, and I swear I'm going to kill that son of bitch."  
Starscream screeched. "You were not raised to use such language!"  
"No he was not," Mitty said.  
Thrawn blushed and nodded. "Of course not."  
Mitty elbowed him. "It's partly your fault."  
"I'm sorry. I got better."  
"Yes you did, I'll admit."  
"You both need your mouths washed." Starscream finished it.  
Optimus chuckled and kissed his mate's cheek.  
Starscream's wings fluttered.  
"Just be careful, Cas. I don't want to lose you."  
"You won't, Matty."  
Matty hugged him. "I couldn't face your family if I came home without you."  
"Same here, Matty. We leave together."  
Matty kissed him. "Together."  
On Floor 79, Carnelian caught up to the crowd. She picked out a group of stragglers and ambushed them in a treeline.  
Cas and Matty came out of their own ambush, now much more powerful and skilled.  
Carnelian whirled to a defensive stance.  
The other players fled as Cas and Matty circled her. "Why?" Cas demanded.  
Carnelian faced them down. "Why what?"  
"Why are you killing them?!"  
"I can't tell you. If I did, I'd have Kayaba's ire." She stood up and rested on the spear. "It comes down to whether or not you trust me."  
"I did. Not anymore."  
"Then we really can't have this conversation. Suffice to say I would skewer both of you here and now if I didn't want to see you facing off with the Gamemaker."  
Cas snarled but stormed off, Matty close behind.  
Floors 80 to 98 were cleared by the next year. It was hard and long.  
Carnelian haunted the boss fights, interfering on occasion, finishing off the dying. She had nearly cleaned out the rest of them, those not organized or weak.  
Cas hated it, was starting to hate her. Floor 100 at last. The Ruby Palace. No monsters waited, just empty halls and rooms until the throne room. There sat Heathcliff. "Well done, all of you. Defeat me, and you clear the game, but there's a condition to my fight. I fight you one at a time until someone defeats me. Each person will have a better and better change as my HP drops, but the first person have to face me at full health and strength. Who will it be."  
"Cas should do it."  
"Yeah, he's the best of is." The general choice was Cas.  
Matty shook his head. "No. I'll do it. Then Cas will finish him off."  
Thrawn and Mitty were on the edges of their seats. "Cas... Matty... I can't choose.:"  
"No, Matty!" Cas cried, grabbed him.  
Matty pushed Cas away. "I'll be the first challenger."  
"Matty!"  
Heathcliff drew his sword. "Do you have any last words or requests just in case?"  
"Burn in Hell, you sick monster." Matty snarled.  
An invisible barrier separated them from the others. Cas pounded on it, and Matty looked at him. tears ran down his husband's beautiful face. "Matty!"  
Matty shot him a cocky grin. "It'll be okay, Cas."  
The fight began, and though Matty was fast Kayaba had created every move the game gave the players. He had the advantage, and his Unique Skill, the Divine Blade, gave him near unbreakable defense.  
Carnelian watched with flashing eyes, her grip on the spear white-knuckled.  
Matty had landed only a few hits, but his bar was already yellow. "Matty! Matty, surrender! PLEASE!" Cas yelled.  
Matty gritted his teeth and continued on, looking to land just one more hit.  
The Liberator flashed, he registered the hit down his torso. "MATTY!!!"  
Matty fell to his knees, HP down to one. Heathcliff raised his sword for the last blow and a golden missile came out of nowhere.  
Matty's eyes widened as his bar disappeared with the decisive beep. Cas screamed as he shattered.  
Thrawn and Mitty lunged towards Matty's body. "MATTY!"  
Carnelian's spear stood sticking out of the spot where Matty had been.  
Starscream and Optimus rushed to Matty's side as well and Palpatine tore Matty's helmet off.  
Heathcliff grunted looking down at the spear. "You've given up your weapon, Hacker. How foolish." Raising his sword, he destroyed the spear.  
Carnelian sighed through her nose. "Bastard. It took me months to make that."  
Carnelian pushed Cas out of the way and stood in the middle of the arena.  
Heathcliff stared at her. "Years of avoiding and spiting me, and now you just hand yourself over? You have no weapon, Hacker. I'm going to enjoy this," he said, raising the Liberator.  
She delayed him as long as she could, giving Cas every chance to recover, using melee attacks, doing minimal damage. "I have my reasons, Kayaba."  
Cas seemed to find himself and snarled. "If we survive I'll kill you IRL for killing him!"  
Carnelian answered calmly. "When I die, Cas, you HAVE to finish him off. I used your second chance already. Understand me?"  
"Then just die already!"  
"Great. You don't understand. Just don't die, okay?" She slid into Heathcliff's embrace for one more ineffective attack and then Liberator caught her across the middle.  
She shattered, and Cas charged Heathcliff, his parents and grandfather watching. Even Cas, for all his speed and strength couldn’t land decisive blows on the Gamemaster.  
Palpatine could hardly bear to look, busying himself with Carnelian and Matty. Thrawn and Mitty clutched each other, unable to tear their eyes away.  
His left sword broke against his shield. "Game over, Your Highness." He stabbed Cas through the middle.  
Thrawn and Mitty screamed outright.  
Palpatine and Starscream whirled automatically and screamed. Cas looked down, his bangs falling over his eyes. Matty's face flashed in his mind. Hate. Complete, utter hate filled. He lashed out with the last of his strength, driving his sword right through Kayaba's head.  
Kayaba looked absolutely shocked.  
Just seconds apart, he and Cas both shattered and the hologram went blank.  
Cas woke in his parents' arms.  
"Dad? Papa?" he rasped, his voice hoarse for lack of use.  
Thrawn and Mitty hugged him close, sobbing over him.  
He weakly lifted his malnourished arms to hug them. "Matty?" he whimpered.  
Palpatine smiled at Cas and gently helped Matty to sit up. "He's right here."  
Tears ran down Cas's cheeks as he was moved into Matty's bed, and for the first time in almost five years they embraced in the real world.  
Still... He looked up at Palpatine. "But Aunt Carnelian..."  
The Emperor shook his head.  
"She killed him... Why? What's happened? What was going on?"  
"She hacked the Cardinal System and found backdoor Kayaba might have used and linked it to her spear. She's been saving players."  
"Then... She was... And I just... I treated her so badly!" He began sobbing. "I'm sorry! Auntie, I'm so sorry!"  
"Sh... Shhh... my poor grandson... Shh..."  
"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, Auntie," he sobbed.  
"Cas... Cas, I'm so sorry. Carnelian... Carnelian can't hear you."  
He wailed, sobbing more. Thrawn tenderly gathered his featherlight son into his arms. "Oh, baby."  
Mitty looked at his father-in-law. "I think it just helps if he says it, even though she can't hear him."  
Cas was sobbing, still begging for forgiveness until he cried himself to sleep, clutching at his father who was rocked him like he was still a small child.  
Thrawn held him on his lap, singing to his baby, and rocking in a chair.  
Mitty summoned Arcan and Camile, and they embraced Matty, sobbing in joy and relief.  
Starscream and Optimus and all of their Sparklings came to see them. Starscream had black overpaint on his wings, the equivalent of black clothes for humans.  
He nestled into Cas's arms, the young man now awake again. He hugged the Seeker.  
"I'm so glad you're here." The Seeker whispered. "It's been a long, hard time."  
Cas nuzzled him trying to both give and get comfort.  
The seeker kissed his chin. "I don't blame you. Neither would she."  
"The last thing I ever said to her was 'Then just die already'."  
"Considering it's Carnelian, she might have taken that as 'I love you.'" Starscream joked weakly.  
"I wanted her to die. I..."  
Thrawn nuzzled him. "No, baby, don't do this to yourself. She loved you, and I know she'd forgive you if she could."  
Optimus set a hand on Cas's wrist. "Of course she would. She went into that game to save you. She loved you, right to the end."  
Cas and Matty attended the funeral, despite their weakened states. Slowly they regained weight and built their strength back up in physical therapy.  
Starscream and Optimus were withdrawn for a time, but it was inevitable that they would return to life, with one small change. Where Starscream had been white before, he was black now.  
Carnelian's robot body was made into a statue and erected in a park, along with a memorial for those lost and a list of those she had saved.  
Once healthy and strong enough, Cas was able to take back his and Matty's daughter. It was a day that brought true happiness back to the family. His stomach slowly grew and curved. One day Thrawn and Mitty were in the library when Cas came running. "Daddy! Papa!"  
They looked up. "Cas?"  
He rushed to them, grabbed Thrawn's large hand, and pressed it to his stomach. "Cas, what-" Something pressed against his fingers.  
Thrawn shrieked in joy and grabbed Mitty's hand to let him feel.  
Matty looked annoyed at his husband's volume until the tiny foot or fist pressed into his palm.  
His own shrieks were just as loud and twice as high pitched. Optimus thought it was Starscream for a moment.  
The noise brought Palpatine to investigate, and Cas practically jumped him, grabbed his hand.  
Palpatine was much more dignified as he congratulated his grandson.  
He and Matty preened for days. As due date drew near, however, everyone's nerves were shot. A heavily pregnant, mood-swing prone, very cranky young Sith was not a fun person to deal with. He was with Palpatine, talking when a pop was heard followed by a gush of clear liquid between his legs.  
After that, things moved fast. Everyone hurried Cas to the prepared room and gathered. Even Starscream and Optimus came, leaving the Sparklings in Grenadier's capable hands.  
His family was supportive through the growing contractions, and he finally ended up with his arms around his father to squeeze since Thrawn was still solid muscle and didn't give even under his son's strength like Matty and Mitty did. "Daddy, rub my back, please," he groaned, squeezing.  
Thrawn rubbed soothingly. "It's almost here, Cas. Almost here."  
Cas squeezed harder. Okay, his diaphragm gave a little as some breath got squeezed out of him.  
Thrawn firmed his muscles again. "You're doing great, Cas."  
"It hurts!"  
"It's almost over, baby. Almost over."  
"Do you want to get in the tub, darling?" Mitty asked. He nodded, whimpering.  
Thrawn lifted him and laid him in the warm water.  
Matty knelt beside the tub, stroking his hair. "You're so strong, honey."  
Mitty agreed, holding his son's hand.  
The doctor checked. "On the next contraction, push, your Highness."  
Thrawn stepped in and settled behind his son, as they had agreed since Cas wanted Matty to catch her so Thrawn would be the one for him to lean on and help him keep his legs open.  
It felt odd to be in this position, but he held Cas gently. "Be ready, Matty."  
"Yes, sir."  
Palpatine came and took Cas's other hand. He bore down, pushing hard. Malachi carefully watched for the the head so he could instruct Matty. "Good, Your Highness. Very good. We should see her head very soon."  
Cas snarled, pushing through the next one as well. "Urgh!"  
"Excellent! I can see the top of her head."  
"AHHHH!!!" Cas screamed as she began to crown, feeling the ring of fire, squeezing his papa and grandfather's hand.  
Thrawn held him, doing all he could to support him. "She's coming, Cas! Keep strong!"  
"Matty, reach down to catch and support her head," said Malachi as Cas waited for the next contraction.  
Matty obeyed, breathing deeply. "You're doing great, Cas."  
He screamed as he pushed. Matty watched in awe as his daughter's head merged, her little smushed face turned up at him. Malachi checked to make sure the cord wasn't around her neck. "Wait, Your Highness. You'll feel her turn during the next few contractions so you can get her shoulders out."  
Cas nodded, breathing heavily. "Okay."  
Finally, she was in place and free of him.  
He gasped as she slid free into Matty's hands. Malachi took her and toweled her off roughly. She coughed and squealed, and the Twi'lek gentled his touch before handing her to Cas.  
Thrawn kissed Cas's head. "She's beautiful, Cas."  
He smiled. "Hi, baby girl."  
He was cleaned up and put on the bed, with Matty kissed him happily. "You did so good, honey."  
Cas smiled and was about to respond, but time seemed to slow down and stop all around him. A mist, vaguely human in shape, stepped forwards, solidifying and coloring.  
He clutched his baby protectively. "Who are you?"  
"Call this my last hoorah." She sat down on the bed at his side. The infant twitched at her voice and turned slightly towards her.  
"Auntie?" he whispered, tears filling his eyes.  
"Shhhh... No crying. No crying, Cas. Not over your newborn daughter."  
"I'm sorry."  
"I know, I forgive you."  
She hugged him, and he kissed her cheek. "Will I be a good mother to her?"  
"Of course you will." She smiled down into her face and produced a small ball out of nowhere. She tucked it into the child's hand and it vanished into her. "She was quite a comfort when I thought I was dead."  
"What did you give her?"  
"What little I could of myself. Some spunk, a pinch of power, all the love I could scrape off the jar." She smiled lop-sided.  
"I miss you," he said, cuddling his baby gently.  
"It's okay. Now that I'm properly dead, it's better. Restful and a bit lazy."  
"So, what are you going to name her?"  
"We decided on Chloe."  
"That's a good name. Sounds a bit like a poodle, though." She smirked.  
"I think it's a pretty name."  
She chuckled. "You're gonna be a great mama, kiddo. Now I think it's time you spent time with your husband, parents, and grandfather and let them fawn over her."  
He sighed. "I love you, Auntie."  
"I won't, I promise they'll be safe."  
"That's all I can ask of you. See you around." She stood up and walked away, becoming blurry and then simply vanishing.  
"Cas? Honey, are you okay?" Matty asked.  
He smiled "Yes. I'm okay, just tired."  
"Oh." Matty kissed his forehead. "Do you want us to let you rest?"  
"Not yet. Grandpa."  
Palpatine went to him. "Yes?" Cas put Chloe in his arms. Palpatine smiled down at her, face frozen in a silent "Awww…”  
Cas hugged Matty, smiling.  
Starscream and Optimus watched their little ones play, arms around each other.  
Thrawn kissed Mitty's forehead, nose, and lips, and Mitty kissed his cheeks and lips.  
It was a happy day, a joyous day after so much pain and sorrow.  
"Welcome to the world, Granddaughter," Thrawn said softly.


End file.
